Tuesday, September 28, 2010

The Missing Cream -Apple Jelly - Water Bath Fiasco-Finished

I decided to skim the milk and just see what Willow has been withholding from me....I could have filled the pint jar, but left some on the milk for flavor. I figure there is about 12 oz. in here and that is from 192 oz. of milk, making her giving about 6%BF....that rascal. I won't be paying $6 for a quart of cream anymore!

The doctor's appointment didn't take long....he wants me to stay on a reduced steroid for a while---I won't fight him yet; he promised to get me off of them soon.

I made a batch of apple jelly with the juice from cooking the peelings and cores from the 7 quarts of apples I froze.

It was a fly-by-the-seat of your pants method: I measured 4 cups of the juice and added the balance needed of apple cider. I didn't find the unpasteurized local variety I wanted and ended up with Musselman's. It had very little flavor or color! I dumped the 7.25 cups of sugar into the 5.5 cups of juice and had a half packet of MCP pectin I tossed in. Whisked all and brought to a boil and boiled about 10 minutes. I used the cold dish test; decided it was done and canned 7 jars and had some left over. It jelled perfectly and is very good.

This morning I milked; that went well. Got a little more than previous milking.

Came in and began peeling the apples. Bagged 5 quarts before I remembered I wanted to water bath these! I sent DH out to get the canner to use for the waterbath. Washed quart jars, peeled apples, made light syrup and put two pans on to cook.

First disaster: They boiled over the pans, very frothy stuff and began scorching on the stove. Had to redistribute the apples into larger pans....clean up some mess. Began cooking again.
Filled the canner....wondering if it was deep enough for quarts.
Filled 4 quart jars placed in canner.
Filled two quart jars with leftover syrup/juice to fill canner.

Second disaster: Water bath boiled over the top ; flooded the stove causing burner to go off. Flooded the kitchen floor that I had just mopped on my hands and knees the day before.

Now I had to get a large bath towel; soak up standing water on range; mop floor and then begin all over again.
Had to run out to the milk parlor and get my taller canner; clean it. Remove hot jars of apples from short canner and place into new canner. Pour hot water over all two inches. Bring back to boil. Process 20 minutes.

End result was great; lost no juice from jars.. I suspect they are over processed and may make applesauce pies or chunky applesauce, but they sealed and one bushel is finished.

I cover my water bath canner too. I just loosely place the canner lid over the pot.
Now the mess begins.....straining all the juice. I had almost all pots in use at this point.
I used the steamer part of my electric deep fat fryer with a double layer of cheesecloth to strain the juice.

Wow, thought I had a Murphy's Law session, girl.Everything looks fabulous, you just had to have a little more excitment in the mix. If it would of been me, it all would of been in the floor!Great job, rest, and I will send good thoughts and no more Murphy's Law.

Well, that almost makes me tired just reading about it. Lots of work but worth the finished product-I think you got your money back and it will taste really good on some of your biscuits and butter. Your camera takes really neat photos.